One of the highest honors that can be granted to internal
medicine practitioners, mastership recognizes outstanding and
extraordinary career accomplishments. Masters must have made a
notable contribution, including but not limited to teaching,
outstanding work in clinical medicine (research or practice),
contributions to preventive medicine, improvements in the delivery
of health care or contributions to medical literature.

According to ACP bylaws, masters are elected “on account
of personal character, positions of honor, contributions toward
furthering the purposes of the ACP, eminence in practice or in
medical research, or other attainments in science or in the art of
medicine.” ACP activities are also taken into consideration
for all candidates.

President and CEO of UBMD Internal Medicine

Among the world’s leading clinical cardiac
electrophysiologists, her pioneering research has helped transform
the evaluation and treatment of heart disease, especially cardiac
arrhythmias, worldwide and has significantly advanced knowledge of
human cardiac electrophysiology and heart-rhythm abnormalities. She
has been a key
contributor to guidelines on atrial fibrillation issued by the
American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association
Task Force on Practice Guidelines.

Curtis is board certified in internal medicine with additional
certification in cardiovascular diseases and clinical cardiac
electrophysiology. She is widely published with almost 300
peer-reviewed manuscripts, book chapters, abstracts, reviews and
editorials as well as a treatise on cardiac pacing.

One of World’s Top Experts on Implantable Defibrillators

Earlier this year, Curtis was installed as the president of the
Association of University Cardiologists.

Her honors and awards include the Distinguished Fellowship Award
from the International Academy of Cardiology, the Distinguished
Service Award from the Heart Rhythm Society and the Walter Bleifeld
Memorial Award for Distinguished Contribution in Clinical Research
in Cardiology from the International Academy of Cardiology.

For over a decade, she has been cited as one of America’s
Top Doctors. In 2013, Expertscape named Curtis one of the
world’s top 10 experts doing research on implantable
defibrillators.

Established Internationally Recognized Laboratory

Prior to coming to UB in 2010, Curtis was professor of medicine
and director, clinical electrophysiology, at the University of
Florida, Gainesville, establishing an internationally recognized
cardiac electrophysiology laboratory. She also was director of
clinical cardiac electrophysiology, training program director for
the cardiovascular disease fellowship, chief of the division of
cardiology and director of cardiovascular services at the
University of South Florida in Tampa.

Since her arrival in Buffalo, she has contributed to the mission
and activities of ACP in many ways, including co-sponsoring a
reception for the New York State chapter at the national convention
annually and enhancing the experience of resident physicians. She
also is a reviewer for Annals of Internal Medicine, the journal
published by the ACP.

ACP Country’s Largest Medical Specialty Organization

Curtis earned her medical degree from Columbia
University’s College of Physicians and Surgeons. She did her
residency at Presbyterian Hospital in New York City and two
fellowships at Duke University Medical Center.

The American College of Physicians is the largest medical
specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in
the United States. ACP members include 148,000 internal medicine
physicians (internists), related subspecialists and medical
students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply
scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis,
treatment and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from
health to complex illness.